Our story

Two blocks apart.One very good first date.

Chicago had already placed us in the same neighborhood. A first date over crepes finally brought us together.

Jacob and Bradley kissing with the Chicago skyline behind them

The first date · Lakeview

It started
with crepes.

Our first date was at The Crepe Shop in Lakeview. Over crepes and conversation, the first thing we learned we had in common was Cities: Skylines—especially designing the public transit systems that made the cities work.

Finding someone who loved the same wonderfully specific part of the game felt exciting—and it made the evening feel instantly easy.

An assortment of sweet and savory crepes at The Crepe Shop A coffee cup bearing The Crepe Shop Chicago logo A powdered-sugar crepe served at The Crepe Shop
The city has always been part of the story.
Photos: The Crepe Shop

First common ground

Cities: Skylines
& public transit.

We didn’t just both play Cities: Skylines—we loved the same part of it: designing the transit network. Comparing routes, train lines, and the way a well-planned system changes a city was specific, nerdy common ground—and a great feeling to find on a first date.

Transit planning makes surprisingly good first-date conversation.
Jacob and Bradley kissing beneath the elevated train as a train passes overhead
The transit was always the best part.
Jacob and Bradley reaching for each other’s hands with an engagement ring visible

The surprise

Only two
blocks away.

Then we found out we lived just two blocks from each other. In a city as big as Chicago, our lives had already been unfolding almost side by side.

It made that first date feel even more special: we had been neighbors all along, and our paths had finally crossed.

02 · Moving north

Making a home
in Ravenswood.

When we moved in together farther north in Ravenswood, we began seeing Chicago from a different perspective.

Lakeview had often felt busy, transient, and touristy. Ravenswood introduced us to a quieter, more lived-in side of the city—neighborhood blocks, local places, and everyday routines that started to feel like ours.

Discovering that version of Chicago together made us fall in love with the city even more.

Jacob and Bradley walking together beneath the train tracks on a leafy Chicago street
A new side of the city.

What comes next

Our story keeps moving.
Next stop: Winnetka.

We can’t wait to celebrate the next chapter with all of you.

See the wedding schedule